Preparing Your Home for a Home/Apartment Exchange

Allowing strangers into your home while you're away on vacation is a leap of faith, most people would agree. But that's the premise behind a home or apartment exchange, a program with a worldwide following that has a growing popularity with some Americans. If you're interested in exchanging, then knowing how to prepare your home for your guests is beneficial to you and to them. Following some of the tips below can help your exchange to get off on the right foot.

The Welcoming Committee

Making arrangements for a trusted neighbor, friend, or relative to meet your guests, show them around your home, and give them the keys is important. In a pinch, you could always leave the keys in a safe, easy to find location, but it's always a better idea to have someone there to meet them in person. Not only is it safer, it's a human contact in what could be an unfamiliar land for your guest. Wouldn't you prefer to be met by a person rather than having to search for a set of keys?

Just a Quick Note&

Once your guests have made it inside your home, make sure to welcome them by leaving behind a welcome note or letter. This letter is a nice hospitable touch and is a great way to communicate any other items of interest that you may not have covered in your dialogue when establishing the exchange. You can also use this opportunity to write out any instructions to home appliances, alarm systems, or lighting, as well as anything else you'd like to add about your home or local area. It's always a good idea to leave a list of phone numbers in case of emergency for your guests' use. This list should include both the police department and fire department emergency numbers, as well as anyone nearby who they could call on if needed.

Ref: associatedcontent.com